Our Teachers
Our Vision
Virtual Studio Tour
Deborah Pratt
Teaches Kindermusik, Piano, Guitar, Ukulele, Rogue Valley Kids Choir
Miss Deb teaches Kindermusik, piano, guitar, voice, and choir. Deb is the founder of Music4Kids. She is an experienced music educator specializing in early childhood music, voice, piano, and guitar. She has taught in both music and elementary classrooms in private and public schools and spent a number years as a substitute teacher in the Grants Pass area before opening the current location of Music4Kids.Deb and her husband Jim have three daughters and seven grandchildren and a very friendly black lab named Kobe. She enjoys gardening, walking with Kobe, visiting the Oregon coast, playing music, and connecting with family and friends.
"I look forward every day to sharing music with you and your family. I treasure all the special moments we experience as we share music together. I've always sensed the miracle of music in the joy that it brings. As I've studied the research and observed the unbelievable benefits of music making in every area of child and human development, I feel privileged to participate in a life work that has such a powerful impact on the world.”
Rachel Boettner
Teaches Kindermusik and Piano
Miss Rachel teaches Kindermusik and piano.Rachel is a licensed Kindermusik educator with a love of music and a passion for children. She is returning to Music4Kids after a 15-year break to focus on raising her family. We are delighted to have her back teaching Kindermusik and piano and accompanying the Rogue Valley Kids Choir.
As a performer, Rachel is much sought after as a piano accompanist, is a past member of the a cappella group Rogue Singers, and has appeared in local musical productions.
Rachel holds an Associate of Arts Degree from Rogue Community College. An experienced home school teacher, Rachel is a founding board member of the Grants Pass Homeschool Co-op.
Rachel and her husband Jerome live in Grants Pass and home school their six children. Although her time is well occupied with children and home, she likes to fill the corners of her days with gardening, reading, knitting, singing, and deep conversations with friends.
"Music has always been an integral part of my life, and one of my favorite things to do is to experience music with others. Teaching Kindermusik in the past was an especially joy-filled way of sharing music with others and I’m thrilled to be back at Music4Kids to continue the journey!"
Jennifer Farrugia
Teaches Violin
Jennifer began violin lessons at an early age and grew to become an accomplished violinist. Over the years she has played in multiple ensembles including the Youth Symphony of Southern Oregon, The Rogue Opera, The Jefferson Baroque Orchestra, local theater productions, several bands (including bluegrass, Celtic, and Christian contemporary), and her church worship team.
Teaches Voice
Teaches Violin
Teresa teaches cello lessons.Teresa has been a cellist for 35 years, playing with many orchestras and chamber groups, including the Three Rivers Community Orchestra, Three Rivers Chorale, and the Josephine County Messiah Sing-a-long. She has also performed in several productions with the One Eleven Evelyn theater company.
Beginning in her elementary school's strings program, Teresa devoted 12 years to cello playing. She began private lessons in high school and during that time played in many orchestras and chamber ensembles, mostly with adults. After a hiatus to finish college, start a family, and begin a career, Teresa returned to cello playing and continued improving her cello skills through study with private teachers. Four years ago Teresa retired following 31 years as an elementary teacher and reading specialist.
Teresa began teaching cello lessons five years ago. She currently serves as the principal cellist with the Three Rivers Community Orchestra and continues to perform in various local ensembles as the opportunity arises.
When she is not playing the cello, Teresa is reading, working crossword puzzles, walking her dogs, playing with her two cats, book-clubbing on zoom, and doing yoga. She enjoys spending time with her husband David and her sons Evan and Quentin.
"I keep coming back to music. Music challenges, soothes, and energizes me. I love exploring the intricacies of cello playing and I love sharing music with others. I can’t wait to find out what I’m going to learn next! I am inspired by my students, and find working with other cellists expands my own appreciation and understanding of the instrument.”
Teaches Guitar
Lisa teaches guitar lessons and classes.
Lisa's love for music began at age five listening to her grandmother play violin for the San Francisco and Oakland symphony orchestras. She played piano as a child, and took up the guitar in her teen years. Lisa started out playing in a few "garage" bands, and then branched out playing guitar, keyboards, and singing backup vocals in various local bands performing for special events in her local community.
Currently, Lisa oversees a veteran's music program that she designed and coordinates through the Josephine County Veteran's Office. Veterans participate in rock bands with other veterans. Lisa serves as a mentor in these groups while participating herself on guitar, keyboards, and vocals and fostering camaraderie within the circle.
Lisa has recently begun taking piano and vocal lessons to further develop her own music knowledge and skills, and she is always looking for ways to support musicianship in our local community.
"I believe music enriches our experience as human beings and supports us on a mental, physical, and spiritual level. I enjoy inspiring and supporting youth in their quest to become musicians, fostering their growth while helping them develop their own style. My own love for music was instilled at a very early age, and I feel very fortunate to participate in the encouragement and guidance of young talent. My goal is to be an inspiration to my students and to instill in them a passion for the arts."
Shannon Shaw
Teaches Violin
Shannon teaches piano and violin.
Shannon began playing the violin and piano as a child. Her talent and passion for music were recognized early on when she was chosen as principal violinist in the Santa Ana School District Orchestra, the combined ensemble of several schools in the district. As an adult living in the Los Angeles area, Shannon played piano with the worship teams of several churches. She performed on violin with local community orchestras and as a studio musician at a professional recording studio.
Shannon is excited to join Music4Kids as a piano and violin teacher. She enjoys teaching children, having served for several years as a teacher in the children's program of her local church. While her passion has always been music, like many musicians Shannon embarked on a career outside the world of the arts, earning a masters degree in business. She worked in administration in the music industry in Los Angeles and, after moving to the Rogue Valley, ran a successful project management consulting firm, where she also honed her teaching skills in adult education, creating training materials and running training sessions for business executives.
Shannon lives in Central Point with her husband and son. When not playing the violin or piano, she spends her time enjoying gardening, cooking, reading, beading, and photography. She is a lifelong learner and is currently expanding her musical knowledge by learning the guitar.
"Music has always been such an important part of my life, and I look forward to sharing the joy of music with the children at Music4Kids. Playing an instrument takes diligence and patience, but it is also incredibly rewarding and fun. I cherish the opportunity to share in this experience with my students."
Heidi Sundin
Teaches Piano
Knowing the power of music to bring out your child’s potential in every area of development, we treasure the opportunity to be a part of your child’s life as they discover their unique gifts and talents.
Nurturing Musicality. Let it begin with Kindermusik! Kindermusik classes guide your young child through each developmental level as they progress in their ability to keep a steady beat and sing in tune. Young children can actually increase musical “talent” through musical experiences beginning at birth — so these early years are critically important to your child’s musical future. For Kindermusik graduates we offer a piano class where loving teachers provide a solid foundation upon which your child will build their life-long musicianship and love for music.
Unlocking Potential. Over the last 20 years research has been flooding in about the amazing power of music making to promote learning and even to enhance the structure of the brain. Kindermusik activities are designed to foster your child’s cognitive, language, physical, creative, and social-emotional development. Beyond Kindermusik, taking music classes or lessons continues to offer the extraordinary benefits of making music.
Music is one of the great joys of life . . .Share it with your child!
Music4Kids is a special place.
In our accepting, nurturing, and motivating environment your child will discover a love for music and gain the foundational skills needed to enjoy making music for life.
You’ll enjoy being in our beautiful teaching studios. We feel fortunate to have found this lovely space with features including:
*a large, bright room with a wall-to-wall padded floor for our Kindermusik classes
*a well-equipped piano lab with 5 full-size digital pianos for our piano classes
*a private teaching studio featuring a baby grand piano
*a peaceful waiting room
Our waiting room is designed to be a restful place for you to wait for your child. For any little ones who may be waiting with you, we have a baby changing table and a toddler table with cute, animal themed child-sized chairs. We also offer coloring books, stuffed animals and story books to keep your child occupied. If you need a place to write or use your computer, there is an adult sized desk and free WiFi available. We hope our waiting room will be a place where you can regroup during your busy day. ♥
Join Miss Deb for a studio walk-through below: